You're crazy, Rachel Dare
by Jullytta
Summary: After the Empire State battle, Rachel is trying to go to camp. What happens when Nico find her?   The Last Olympian.


**I really have to thanks Sakura Martinez for beta-reading it. I wrote it a long time ago and there were a lot of mistakes. I hope you like it (:**

** You're crazy, Rachel Dare. **

The sky was dark. Nico was in a sofa on the Empire State Building hall. His father had left just a minute ago. He asked Nico about visiting him in the Underworld and promised him that Persephone wouldn't turn Nico in a flower, too. The fact that Hades was proud of Nico had made the boy feel happy like he had never felt before. But he was tired. He sat in the first place he could when his father went away.

The sound of the people around him was annoying Nico. He was wondering if this was another consequence of being a Son of Hades. Some of these people were hurt and Nico could feel death in them. So, Nico wanted to get away from there. He just didn't know where to go. He already knew about his past now and didn't need to search for more answers. He was thinking about being trained in the Underworld with his father, but for now he was going back to the camp with the others.

Feeling tired, Nico got up and went out. He looked around for a second to see the consequences of the Empire State battle. The damage to the buildings was severe and Nico imagined what the mortals would think about it.

Mortals. They were really funny at times. Like that friend of Percy - _Rachel_. She was crazy. Or maybe the only thing Nico knew about her was her craziness.

They first meet in Daedalus' Labyrinth. Nico admired her courage, but her actions seemed more insane than brave. Like the way she hit a titan with a blue hairbrush or like when she appeared in the middle of the battle in a helicopter.

Now that Nico was thinking about her, he realized he hadn't seen Rachel since... Since when? He didn't remember. He had forgotten about the helpless mortal. What if something happened to her? She could have died and no one would know.

No one but a Son of Hades.

Nico knew she was alive. If she had died, he would feel it. But she wasn't in the building. So, where...?

His thoughts were interrupted by a whinny. Another whinny - that one more high - came to Nico. He cautiously walked to the sound, sneaking in the shadows. And there she was, Rachel Dare.

She seemed really angry and was muttering something to a shadow that Nico figured out that was Blackjack, Percy's Pegasus. Nico was _so_ right. Rachel really was cracked. What the hell was she doing there?

He couldn't be discreet.

"What are you doing?"

_Oh-oh_, Rachel thought to herself.

There was no way that someone had found her so soon! She tried _so_ hard to not catch the attention of anyone while she was running away. She searched for the Pegasus for what seemed like hours and guessed nobody would find her.

She was wrong.

Rachel turned to the right to see Nico di Angelo.

_Double Oh-oh_, she thought. He was stubborn. If he only knew what she was going to do...

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked.

"I'm just hanging out." Nico answered without hesitation. "That's not your case, is it?" He said indicating the Pegasus. Blackjack let out a whinny like he was trying to tell something to Nico, but the boy couldn't understand the horses' language.

"Oh yeah? I would be so much happy if you went some place else." Rachel said angrily. She pushed Blackjack's neck while whispered. _"Just let me climb..."_

Nico heard.

"And where are you going with Percy's Pegasus?"

"I'm trying to take him to the building." She lied. Nico arched an eyebrow.

"So let me help you." He offered, coming closer. Rachel retreated.

"Oh, thanks. I can do that myself." she said "You can leave now."

_"What does she think I am? An idiot? I'm a Son of Hades, not some dumb kid!" _Nico thought to himself.

"Are you going to tell me where you're going?" Nico asked a little bit angrily.

"I already said that I'm not going anywhere!"

"So what about I go along with you to 'anywhere'?"

"No!"

Dammit! Why wasn't a stupid Son of Ares that found her? Why was that stubborn Son of Hades? Rachel needed to make him go away fast.

"No one needs your help at the Empire State?" She asked trying to change the subject. Nico shook his head.

"Sons of Hades just feel the death."

That was when Nico realized. Something feels really weird on Rachel. He couldn't feel it before, but the air around her seemed heavier. He knew what that was. _Danger._ He could hear in his head one voice screaming: _death danger!_

"Hold on one second..." He started staring Rachel. "You're thinking about taking risks, right?"

Rachel sighed.

"Ok, Dead Boy." She said reluctantly. "I'm thinking about taking risks. I'm _borrowing _Percy's Pegasus and I'm going to give it back if..."

"If you survive." Nico said before her could complete the sentence. He could feel death around her and was starting to wonder why. "What are you planning to do?"

She sighed again.

"You have to promise that you're not going to try to stop me, Nico."

"I can feel the _death_ on you." He said coolly, but Rachel didn't hesitate.

"I know about the risks I'm taking and I want to go on." She replied. "Just promise you won't try to stop me."

For a long time, Nico just stand there staring at her. What if he says no? She was a wild card. She would runaway anyway. He just wouldn't know where she was and so wouldn't be able to save her.

"Alright." He signed. "I promise. But what the...?"

"The Oracle." She answered as fast as she could. "I'm gonna be the Oracle."

No way. He knew she was crazy, but... that was too much to handle. Even the craziest people on the world wouldn't try to be the Oracle! Didn't she know that there were just a few chances of being successful? Didn't she ever think about how much this could affect her mortal life? He had to warn her.

"You shouldn't do that." Nico said "You didn't see how May Castellan is now. You don't know terrible it's going to be if you fail. And, even if you don't, being the Oracle will ruin your normal life."

"I was born able to see though the mist, Dead Boy." Rachel said firmly. "I was born to be the Oracle. It's my destiny. I'm not a simple mortal and my life will never be normal."

"You don't _understand_." Nico took a step in her direction. "Being the Oracle will ruin _you_. Even something as mundane as your studies. Monsters will come after you. You won't be able to have a family, get married, or have a kid."

Rachel figured out that Nico knew what he was talking about. But she already knew that too. She knew all about the last Oracle. She knew the story of May Castellan. Unfortunately, she _had_ to do that. Sometimes, to fulfill your duties, you need to let go of some pleasures of life. It wasn't like Rachel was heartless and never thought about having kids or getting married, but she could give up on that to get her destiny.

"I already know this." She said determination oozing from her words.

"And you're still going to do this?"

"Yes."

"You're crazy, Rachel Dare." Nico finally said to her. "You're really, really crazy."

"Thank you, Nico di Angelo." Rachel said with a grin, and pointed to Blackjack. "Can you help me?"

That wasn't exactly what he wanted: to help the girl get on her way to the Underworld's "DEATH EXPRESS" line. But, in the end, Nico held the Pegasus while she rode it. Blackjack let out another whinny.

"We are going to Camp Half-Blood, ok?" Rachel said to Blackjack. For his grunt, Nico knew the answer were something like _"You freak! Let me go!"_, and the Pegasus started to fly.

"You're _sure_ you'll do that?" Nico asked another time. "You could die if you try."

"I need to take risks." She said smiling. "We'll see each other soon, di Angelo, and I'm going to be the Oracle."

And she was gone. Nico stared at her while the redhead flew away to Long Island. Then, he started to run to the Empire State. He had to tell Percy that Rachel was gone. He better hide the fact that Nico left her to do as she pleased or Percy would be angry with him. All Nico knew was that he had to run and hope to get to camp in time to save Dare if things went wrong.

While he was running, Nico was thinking how much Rachel was irrational. He had seen all the types of weird things in the world – even though when you're a demigod, nothing is so weird - but Rachel could change that.

For a moment, Nico thought about the hypothesis that maybe she was not crazy but brilliant. After all, the brilliant people in the world sometimes do the craziest of things. Nico felt admiration for her, for her bravery, boldness, and brilliance.

Yes, Rachel Elizabeth Dare was crazy. But in a good way.


End file.
